The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade plans to call for a police investigation into those who repeatedly lose passports. Alleged victims who claim to have lost their passport more than twice in five years have aroused suspicions amongst authorities that they are trying to sell them to the black market.
The ministry advised people to take extra care not to lose their important document as the investigation is expected to last for about a month. During the clamp down, the person is not permitted to go overseas as measures to reissue a new passport are not allowed.
South Korea has an agreement with 82 other countries that allows Koreans to visit for a defined period without a visa. The country also leads in illegal passport dealings that are brokered with a high premium, an official from the ministry said.
The ministry estimated the total number of passport loss at 50,000 annually, and the increase in the number may cause people to go through an extra examination during the immigration procedure when they visit other countries, he said.